Our first Fishing adventure of the year...

First of all thank you to my hubby John for his very thoughtful birthday message. It was the sweetest gesture and I was hugely relieved that he focused on good things and failed to draw attention to my faults. ...they are many.

It was my birthday yesterday. 29 on the 29th. That only happens once. To celebrate John said we could do anything that I wanted to do. That's generally the tradition in our family. However, I admit when it was Abby's birthday she wanted to go to the Ramada in lethbridge. I wasn't really feeling that so instead I bribed her out of it with a fish. I don't really feel that bad for her because now she has a pet that I have to take care of. Karma maybe.

Anyways yesterday I wanted to spend my birthday in Waterton and we had the bright idea to go fishing for the first time this year. This was to be our maiden trip to Cameron Lake. John was excited to inflate the Seehawk 500. (that's just an inflatable dingy but John feels all manly and stuff whenever he gets to haul that baby out.) So I spent the morning preparing a picnic dinner, packing life jackets, oars, extra change of clothes, sunblock....yadda yadda yadda.

By 3:00 we were ready to leave, and to say we were excited would be an understatement. We couldn't wait! After the trip to Waterton and then the trip up the mountain to the lake we piled out of the van ready to fish and this is what we found:


In case you were planning to go fishing at Cameron lake...don't. It is completely frozen! But we did get a family photo though so that was good. I don't think the kids like all the pictures I take but, my birthday so ...too bad for them.



As we headed back to the van to consider our next option Sam snuck up behind me chanting "mo-o-m I have a present for you." I turned around to see a big snow ball in his hand and an evil look in his eyes. I got it right in the back.

Thank you son. I felt the love.




This is a picture of some trees. Because I don't think I ever include enough pictures in my posts.

These trees happen to be where we stopped to have our supper. Hoagies, chips, fruit and veggies. I prefer that way more then campfire food. Jordan and Luci and their kids joined us at this point. The kids were happy to see some of their cousins.




This is my nephew Jaxson. As I was taking his picture I told him to "say cheese." Following my command he focused on his cheese.
Boy did he focus.

That cheese got his devout attention until my camera and I had completely cleared the area.




Cameron Falls was gushing that day, in fact we could feel the water mist from the road. It makes me nervous letting my kids get close when the water is moving that fast.




Of course we couldn't disappoint John. The boat came out. We decided to fish in the bay right by the main docks. We've never ever caught fish there and rarely see others trying. We felt a little silly but it was important that we pull out the rods. It was in my plan so it had to be done, if only for a moment.
So that was how our grand fishing trip started and ended. It was a great day and I was very grateful for our family and friends who were so kind to me.


Oh yeah and I had to include a picture of the cupcakes that my sister brought over yesterday morning. I LOVED the garden theme and they were almost too good to eat!

I had almost as tough of a time sharing these as I do sharing my "real" garden. But don't worry I did share.

...some:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANIS!!!!

Tanis turns 29 on March 29, and so in honor of the number 29, I will share with you 29 things about Tanis that make her so special. You may or may not already know these things about her, from these are observations from my point of view (this is John typing... yes, I am infiltrating the blogosphere, so be prepared for an amateur performance!)

1. Tanis loves change. One of her classic comments is "This is my favorite time of year!" (She says this at the beginning of every season.) Our furniture gets rearranged every couple of months or so too, but I don't mind this at all, because I like change too. I guess that's why we live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

2. Tanis loves salt and vinegar chips, for the moment, and this leads me to believe that either we're having a baby boy or we're having a pickle.

3. Tanis is a fantastic organizer. During the first 6 years of our marriage, we moved (on average) every 8-10 months, and each time Tanis demonstrated her skill in preparing, labeling, and packing boxes. I marveled at her ability to unpack and situate everything in our home within one day of moving in. That's EVERYTHING (like pictures hung on walls, books on shelves, storage situated, etc.)

4. Tanis is a whirlwind cleaner. I help best during the weekly cleaning by getting out of the way. She can whip our house into shape at an incredible rate.

5. Tanis is an incredible multi-tasker. I think she has this ability above the average mother. I recently learned that the corpus callosum (the connective portion of the brain between the right and left hemispheres) is larger in women, so I now have an explanation for why I can't cook breakfast, style my hair, put on my makeup, do Abby and Jessica's hair, change Jessica's diaper, and get everyone ready for church all by myself and all at the same time. (and yes, I look absolutely horrible in makeup)

6. Tanis is a great writer. This blog is evidence alone of that. I find myself checking the blog frequently just to see what she's written next. We have taken steps to collect and preserve all these blogs as a record of our family history, and Tanis has been able to capture the humorous, the happy, the sad, and the beautiful from everything happening in our lives. She is definitely gifted in this ability.

7. Tanis occasionally declares that she is awkward or untalented when it comes to dancing or balance. I've heard her use the word klutz once in awhile. However, I am amazed at her ability to pick objects up with her feet. She'll just step on the corner of an object, wrap her toes around it, and with a quick contraction of her leg, she whips the object up close to her waist level within reach of her hand. I've tried to copy this "feet", but I wind up looking like a drunk flamingo, without near the graceful quickness my wife has mastered.

8. Tanis loves taking pictures. She has collected hundreds of pictures in her "morgue" (an artist's term for a bank of pictures ready for painting.) She also has volunteered to take pictures of other families and she's become quite a professional in her ability to capture great shots. She could easily run a business with her developed talents.

9. Tanis has an intuitive ability to pick out recipes that are great tasting and instant hits. She regularly cooks a new dish for dinner, even if company is coming over that night. I admire her ability to perceive a great recipe without ever cooking it first. I think she gets that from her dad.

10. Tanis has become a proficient gardener. I don't know if she ever gardened much while she was young, but she has transformed our yard into an attractive lot (destined I hope to attract the community beautification committee here in Cardston when they have their annual competition). Our garden, lawn, and flowers all are neat, beautifully arranged, and healthy. We really love our little piece of heaven.

11. Tanis is an accountant. She knows how to really spend money, but rarely does she ever spend money on herself (and even when she does she feels guilty).

12. Tanis enjoys singing and playing music. She second-guesses her ability, but I admire her appreciation for music.

13. Tanis loves horses. Lately she's been frustrated because she really can't ride them at all. She loves The Man from Snowy River (that's me, except for the horse-riding part...) and can't wait for the day when she can spend time learning how to ride.

14. Tanis is tough. She tackles dirty, unpleasant work with determination and is just as comfortable wearing gum boots as she is sandals.

15. Tanis is charitable. She is one of the most selfless people I know. Even when she was literally sick in bed, she was writing up lists of treats to deliver to people in our community. I'm always the delivery service and I have to deflect any gratitude from the recipients because I really had nothing to do with the gift.

16. Tanis builds people up. Knowing how sick she has been lately, I marvel at how cheerful and happy she is around others, when I know inside she would rather be resting.

17. Tanis is a talker. She uses this ability to help others feel important, and she can also test the performance of our cordless phone battery.

18. Tanis is a reader. She participates regularly in a book club of women in our community, and she has opened my eyes to some insightful and engaging literature. I envy her ability to manage all that she does and still make time to read good books.

19. Tanis is smart and assertive when dealing with business people. She is not afraid to call people on their poor service. She can quickly perceive any misleading information and is not afraid to politely question an unfair business transaction.

20. Tanis has acquired a lot of knowledge about health and legal issues. She's always ready to strike up a conversation about the latest research she has read. She seems to have a natural ability for understanding legal issues, and again, this is likely a result of having a father who served admirably in the police force and a brother who is following suit.

21. Tanis understands how organizations should operate, including church callings and protocols (again, probably from her dad). She has great insights and advice for me when it comes to balancing family with church.

22. Tanis loves wildlife. This is one reason why she is such a great mother... :.)

23. Tanis loves M*A*S*H*. If we have a boy, his name just might be Hawkeye.

24. Tanis loves driving standard vehicles, especially trucks. She is very capable of "peeling out," and she is very comfortable changing spark plugs and tires.

25. Tanis is not afraid to try new things (which connects to her love of change.) She learns quickly and doesn't settle for mediocre performance.

26. Tanis loves Wateron.

27. Tanis loves her four children (one stays in an amniotic bathtub at the moment) and relentlessly sacrifices so much of herself for their benefit.

28. Tanis is passionate but not fanatical about her religious convictions. Any who know her feel of her genuine spirit and can't help but be influenced for good.

29. When Tanis and I were first engaged, I was spending some time alone with my family up in Glacier National Park. While studying some of the scenery surrounding Logan's Pass, the thought came to me that Tanis was like a mountain: immoveable, firm, and majestic as the towering granite castles lining the horizon, yet as gentle and delicate as the array of mountain wildflowers which rush to bloom in the short growing seasons, or the leaves that linger in the fall to dazzle the eye as long as possible before the first wisps of snow. Mountains are beautiful in all of their color and temperature changes throughout the year, as if the seasons themselves bring out an unexpected composition of admirable qualities. For you, Tanis, I hope what never changes is that you are with me through it all. Happy birthday to you... my love, my life, my future.

Friday in Waterton

I've been wanting to get the kids to Waterton for several days now, but we've held off on going so that John could come with us. Friday after school we grabbed my niece Ava and headed there to find some fun.

It was a beautiful day! So often in Waterton you have to deal with wind or cooler temps, but this day was perfect. Not even a breeze. We took a great walk around Linette Lake. It's a fun stroll and super super easy. The kids had fun designating certain logs, benches etc homes for various bears. "Bertha bear lives here....bruno bear lives here...." That kind of thing. I love watching the kids play like that.

I took some landscape photos but I posted them on my other blog.


Midway through the walk we saw two people ride some horses down a mountain trail and we just had to to go check out the stables. Well I HAD to go, and John was perfectly happy to do whatever. That's usually how it works. I LOVE horses and want to ride one so badly. Apparently they don't like to let pregnant women ride though. Hmmm. I was slightly let down by that. I mean, seriously I'm sure the pioneers still rode horses even when they were pregnant. Yes?

Oh well. Instead we paid a small sum and rented two ponies for half an hour and gave the kids rides.
Because all kids should learn how to ride a horse.

Even....the if you are only two!


Can someone PLEASE tell my husband that we NEED a horse. Not "want". NEED!

Just add it in the comment section below.

I think if I get 1000 comments pleading my case....he might listen.


After soaking in the sweet scent of musty barn, oats and horse ...um "stuff" we headed to the park to check out the new playground. They've replaced all of the play structures and it is a GREAT park now. The kids played for an hour and ate their supper occasionally during that time.

Abby did manage to do the monkey bars successfully. The mountain air must have maximized her strength and endurance. I was proud of her.



I was equally proud of Jessica for the way she managed to spend a large chunk of time doing this. ...Just hangin!



And nothing tops off a day in Waterton like a trip to the ice cream store.

And for the record- just so you know: all it takes to hear your kids say "This was the Best day EVER" and "You are the best mom in the World" - is one giant scoop of bubble bubble blast ice cream!

Money well spent if you ask me.

Introducing ...my pride and joy....

MY GARDEN!!!!!!!!!!!


ahem...I mean OUR garden. ( I think I have a sharing problem)

Two years ago when John and I looked at this property and walked through this house there were a couple of things that made me nervous. Well ok a lot of things. For instance, there was carpet in the bathrooms and actual tail lights on the exterior of the house. Then there is the fact that if the wind ever blows (which it does) I pretty much fear our home will snap like a twig.

It is a known fact that tornados LOVE trailer homes.

I have to say though that despite my concerns back then we could still see so much potential. And it seems that the more we are here, the more we LOVE it. L-O-V-E it!

One of the great things about our property is that we have a lot of yard to work with and our garden plot is HUGE! Yesterday we were FINALLY able to plant most of our vegetables. The weather the past little while has driven me crazy.

Here is a picture of the garden before we started planting. 84 feet of dark rich soil. I love dark soil. I wish I could package that smell and keep it in a bottle. Note our two new apple trees. Pathetic looking suckers- but one day they will be a beautiful part of our back yard. No doubt my children will learn to climb them and break many bones in the process. But for now- there is not much to them.




I have to admit, after a few hours, I did get a little sick of planting all the potatoes, but my father in law was there so I made sure to look like I was loving every minute of it.




Oh look speaking of my Father in law...here he is. He said Jessica was ``helping`` him but I don`t believe it. Not for a split second do I believe that. Note the two pear trees that will be planted in what will one day be our front yard. The blossoms are lovely.








Oh and here is Sam- who apparently is a little starved for attention.




This was the garden after we planted. We put in 3 rows of strawberries right next to our raspberries. 8 rows of peas, 12 rows of carrots, 4 rows of onions, 1 row of chard, 2 rows of beats, 4 rows of corn, 2 rows of gladiolas, and 9 rows of potatoes. We have yet to plant our beans, squash and cucumber. soon though.


I LOVE looking out my bedroom window and seeing the garden now. Mind you I did not particularly like seeing the robins pulling out all my onions, but whatever. You won`t hear me complain of that today. The garden is in and the sun is shining. So all is right in my world again.


I snapped this picture of Jessica the other day just as she was starting to stir. She looks like such and angel, so peaceful with the rising sun kissing her little baby head. Is there anything better then a peaceful sunny morning.

Nope I don`t care what anybody says. Yes I have heard that there is snow in the forecast AGAIN. I`m not going to believe it. No I am not! Good bye stupid long winter. I will not miss you!

This is beyond depressing!

Perhaps you remember my last post in which I wrote about ALL the planting I got done on this past weekend. It felt good to get my hands in dirt and plant all of those flowers. Every time we've driven up to the house the past few days I felt such pride and joy just looking at our flower beds.

Today didn't feel as good.

I think I cried.




Good bye begonias, petunias and impatiens.

Hmmm. "Impatiens" Pretty flower. Sounds a lot like IMPATIENT. I think that is what some people think I am sometimes. I hate to admit it but perhaps I should have planted those impatiens a few weeks from now.


If you'll excuse me now.

I'm off to cry some more.

Three photos from this week and Happy Mothers Day

I am married to a man who likes to play with his food. He always has. More then once he has turned to look at me with potato chips for eyes, or small bits of food stuck in his dimples. He likes to shoot grapes out of his mouth straight up high above him and then catch them with his wide open mouth as they fall back down. (Kids love that one.) He's always turning his mashed potatoes into volcanos with gravy flowing lava. Every meal is an adventure in our house. They other day I was laying down and could hear the kids in the kitchen shrieking with delight. I kept my head hidden under the pillow only imagining what was happening at the kitchen table. Tonight I found this on the camera and it explained it all. What you do with Chocolate pudding:

Great John. Thanks for passing it on. It's all fun and games you know, until we have to take this kid out in public!!!


The snow has officially all melted from the past couple of late spring snow storms. Buds are appearing on our trees and our deep freeze is officially full of Freezies. We are ready for spring.

(Please excuse the bowls and crumbs on the table. The bowls are from breakfast, the crumbs from lunch. I know it is easier to clean as you go, but these days I tend to let messes pile up. Usually about 10 minutes before John is expected home from work I get up and attempt to whip things into shape.) Hey it's how we roll these days!


More then any other photo this one brings me pure Joy! This is a pile of some of our seeds we will be planting. We actually planned to plant today but darn the rain! I love the rain. Love how it smells, how it sounds...but not on a day when I want to plant my garden. That's alright- we are ready and waiting.

Today was a very productive Saturday for us. Some of our accomplishments:

* Abby attended our ward primary party at the Bishops house. Breakfast and Scripture Study. Sam and I skipped. oops.
* I raked our entire lawn. It's a big lawn.
* John planted two apple trees! YEAH!!!!
* John cut down and demolished two more trees from our property to make room for the two pear trees we will purchase next week.
* I planted all of my bedding out plants.
* Tended to our 45 new strawberry plants.
* Purchased to hanging flower baskets that are now hanging from our awning. I think it makes our home look like a place where 80 year old people live. I love it!
* I cleaned the house from top to bottom for the first time since January practically!
* John set up our Trampoline after it's long winter hibernation in the garage.

It felt SO good to get so much done, and it was such a treat to get my hands into dirt again. I felt so great being outside working.

Next week: GARDEN GARDEN GARDEN!!!!


Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful Mothers that we know! I have such an appreciation for the influence that my own mother had on me. I only knew her for 5 years but that was enough time to be blessed by her goodness. I hope to one day be the kind of person that she was!

Everybody should have a sister

I'm so lucky! I have the BEST sisters in the WORLD! That isn't just my opinion it is an actual proven fact.

I have three sisters. Two that I grew up with and one that joined our family years later by marrying my Brother. They are three of the kindest, and most creative women I know. Up until a couple of years ago all of us lived within about 20 minutes from each other and I really miss that.
First I`ll tell you about the implanted one.
Heather and I are usually pregnant at the same time, and this time is no exception. We each are soon to have 4 kids. Out of our combined 8 kids- 6 of them are born within weeks of each other. We are like polar opposites. I`m tall and gangly. She is not. She handles pregnancy with ease and grace. I don not. She is calm and patient ....well anyways- you get the point. She practically lives in her kitchen and bakes and cooks for those she loves. I really like to visit them.


Crystal and I are closest in age and have probably spent the most time together in the past. We`ve lived together growing up, then again as university students and even once when her and her hubby opened up the top floor of their home to my family while John went back to school. She`s a biologist at heart. And her heart is REALLY BIG. She`s met David Suzuki and sat among a rare breed of spirit bears as they fed on Salmon at her feet. She`s a poet and a bird watcher and is always worried that she hasn`t been quite kind enough to those around her. Like she has anything to worry about!



And then there is my sister Jewel. Some things about Jewel that I feel need to be said:
* Our husbands are cousins. Therefore we still share the same last name and see each other at ALL family reunions.
* Both of our husband are science teachers and got hired in the same town at the same time. (I think that is because God knew I needed to be close to at least one of my sisters)
* She`s several things to me. A friend, my nurse, and my mom. She is the one I go to when I really need. But I don`t really need to go TO HER, she usually is already at my door helping before I have to ask.
* Her home is where we all gather when family gets together. She`s the perfect hostess.
* My kids ADORE her! ``Aunty Jew`s house`` was one of Jessica`s favorite things to say!
* Since I got pregnant she has been picking up Abby practically EVERY morning and takes her to school for me.
* She is always dropping off meals for me and has probably single handedly saved my family from malnutrition the past couple of months.


Take today for example. As I got to her house this morning to pick up my kids- Jewel handed me a box full of ready to go freezer meals. Not just dinner for tonight as she would normally do- but dinner for a WEEK! To top it off she had prepared THIS MORNING a dish full of the finest scalloped potatoes ever. These potatoes are like medicine to me- I`m not even kidding. She bakes them for several hours in a puddle of creme until the top is golden and bubbly. They are SOOO Good!

This is the coziest dish of potatoes you could ever eat. This is the perfect side dish to roast or ham and apparently it even works on its own while you sit on the couch watching The Drs. In fact it is shortly after 3:00. Dinner is not for a couple of hours and as you can see I`ve already polished off a good portion of these potatoes.

Seriously people- pray that I get some restraint soon or there really will be nothing to eat for dinner.

I don`t regret it thought because with every bite I have felt the love of my sister, and it has solidified to me the fact that I truly believe everybody, EVERYBODY should be blessed enough to have SISTERS.

...But not mine. They`re taken!

************************************************************
I`m including the recipe for these potatoes which Jewel inherited from her Mother in Law. Go ahead and try to make them. I`ve tried- and I guarantee they will NEVER NEVER turn out as good as Jewels!

But- Good luck just the same.


Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes
by Deanna Hardy
6-8 raw potatoes 2-3 cups whipping cream
1 small chopped onion 2-3 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and slice potatoes very thin into a greased 9x13 pan. Stir in the onion and the salt and pepper. Pour over the whipping cream and stir to coat. Pour whole milk over to cover the potatoes. Bake at 300 F for 3 to 3 and a half hours, uncovered.

Things have been so busy. So SO busy around here. What with all of the hours I spend lying in bed whining about morning sickness, and then throw in the time I spend on the couch watching TV...I mean who has time to blog with all that going on?

I won't be pathetic forever though. ...I hope. Sometime soon I will take the time to share the wonderfulness of our lives again. Baby is growing big. I know that because my belly is growing exponentially so all must be well in that department. Sam, Abby and Jess have been playing so well together lately, and John has been so supportive. Overall we are all healthy and well and life is good.


For now though, here is a picture of our youngest. She better enjoy life as the "baby" because those days are numbered!



Oh yeah and I think this may be how the whole Swine Flu thing got so out of hand:

So there was this Tree...

So there was once this tree. A beautiful, healthy, large thriving poplar Tree. It stood majestically on the Northeast corner of our property right before my garden. I had nothing against this tree-in fact I loved it.

My favorite thing about our home is the actually LOT in which our home sits. One day (we are talking a year from now) some lucky buyer will literally Drive our house off this lot and we will be left with a True Gem. Large spacious yard with beautiful full grown trees lining the entire property. Throw in a kick butt garden plot and a soon to be vegetable pit- and you can see why I love this place. The trees are a big part of that Love.

Back to that one tree. This one to be precise:


Over the last couple of weeks John and I have been dreaming about starting a small orchard. We are talking 3 maybe 4 trees. A couple of apple trees, maybe a cherry tree, John wants to try his luck at a pear tree...you get the idea. We plan to plant our trees in a couple of weeks and sadly the spot we want to plant them is occupied by none other then this old poplar. We want to line our garden with the new trees but they would never do very well next their much larger competitor for nutrients. So a decision was made.


The tree had to go.

Step 1: Get permission from our neighbor seeing as the tree lies mostly on his property line. That was a must.




Step 2: Invite John's Dad over for Dinner.

(But suggest that perhaps he come over a few hours early) Tricky eh. He's a handy father in law to have when it comes to all things that grow.




Step 3: Cut a wedge into the tree- that will cause it to lean a direction.

See it Lean. It's leaning!!!!!



Step 4: Get out of the way. That is important. A tree like this comes crashing down!
I was actually on the phone with my sister-in-law luci at the time and she could hear the tree cracking as it fell. This part made me really sad and regretful actually. Have you ever seen the cartoon movie Fern Gully? I felt like "Hexus" the evil nemesis who tries to ruin the rain forest by destroying every tree in it's path. I felt like him. No wait- I felt like I was MARRIED to "Hexus."


Step 4: Retreat into the house and let "Hexus the tree killer" clean up the mess he's made.



For the next several hours John and his Dad cut wood, hauled wood and worked on digging out this stubborn and deeply rooted stump. And I mean they worked. They hacked at the roots, neighbors drove by with trucks and tried pulling the tree out. John pushed. john Pulled. John Jumped on it. That stump was NOT going to budge.
Finally that evening the men took a much needed break in which they came in for that dinner we had promised my Father in law. I proved to be a real winner when I served the desert. A homemade cherry blueberry pie. The cherries were hand picked from my father in laws yard last year. It would have been a beautiful pie- had I remembered to remove the PITS from the CHERRIES! So after damaging their teeth on desert the men headed back out to attack that stubborn old stump.


The wonderful thing about living in this town is that it doesn't take long before a member of your ward Elder's Quorom presidency drives by and offers assistance. Even better when said ward member owns one huge mamma jamma of a tow truck.
This was cool to see and it drew quite a crowd.



Even with the tow truck this was not an easy stump to pull. I love how in this photo you might not see it well- but the front of the truck was actually lifted about a foot in the air!




After one broken chain, and another broken cabel out came the last remaining part of that tree.



John filled in the massive whole, raked up all remnants of branches and debris and this morning when we awoke it was almost as if there never was a tree there. It has actually made me sad when talking to people about it and they say, "Oh I never even noticed that tree." Poor little tree. To have grown so big and tall and been so unnoticed.


Well that leaves an empty spot in which we promise promise PROMISE we will be replanting three more fruit trees of some sort in it's place.

So we aren't that bad.


....are we?

Spring? Maybe...?

I'm nervous to say that spring is here. Last time I said that - we were greeted to this the next morning: But that is southern Alberta for ya now isn't it. It's been a beautiful week and I really think that we've seen the last of the snow. ...maybe. I think.


Do you want to know what the three best things about being married to a school teacher are? Well-in no particular order the 3 best things about it are:
July, August and Spring Break!!! That time off is the BEST time of year!

It has been SOOO nice to have John home all week long. No evening lesson prep. No marking. We've tackled lots of little projects around the house during the day and in the evenings we've enjoyed Lord of the Rings. Luckily I've had more good days then bad lately as far as the "morning sickness" goes. I'm sure John has appreciated having someone a little more human- like around here.


Easter weekend we brought out the picnic table. One of my FAVORITE favorite favorite things to do is eat dinner outside. The spring air is refreshing, the kids stay put longer, neighbors pass by, and cleaning up for some reason is a cinch. Love it.


Mind you we weren't expecting these little bovine buddies to join our little picnic, but ...then again... that's southern Alberta for you.





Earlier in the week, some of John's siblings planned a tinfoil dinner in Waterton. Despite the fact that the thought of leaving the house seemed like too much work for me- the thought of waterton was enticing enough. Luci made yummy tin foil dinners for everyone. Rachel brought s'mores. It was cold. There was snow. Perhaps we should have dressed the kids better. But it was so Nice!

Of course we could not have left Waterton without flying at our favorite spot. John and Jord flew those remote planes of theirs and Abby got to fly her Princess kite!

I like this pic with the hotel in the background. If I had a dollar for every photo I've taken of this hotel...

John took this photo of the kids on Sunday morning. Sundays are rough around here these days so you can appreciate the little miracle it was that all THREE were actually dressed in time for church!


Other exciting news of the week: For me, the most exciting news is that I've felt a bit more human! I have good days and bad days. But not ALL BAD days anymore. Progress right. I've taken a walk around our house and I see flowers and plant popping up out of the soil everywhere. My Rhubarb I transplanted last fall actually appears to be taking, and today- I noticed my parsley popping out of the ground!

I am really Really excited to start my garden this year. I'm not sure how I'll be able to tend to it when I have a stomach the size of my house- but then again I'm married to a school teacher right? Perhaps I need to start calling it "our garden" and let john help me in it a bit more.

This was my passion last summer and i have to admit I got a bit territorial over it.


I've spent some time planning our garden for this year. There are a lot of things I want to do differently. Ahem... I mean - there are a lot of things that WE want to do differently this year. Today we actually completed phase 1 of our plan. When I say we- I mean John and my Father in law. I'll blog about it tomorrow, but I'll tell you this. It involves a chainsaw...one REALLY big poplar tree... and a very cool tow truck.


Don't worry "tree lovers"- it's all part of our Master plan!

Perspective

It's been a rough few weeks. I've been putting off writing on my blog because, well I've had nothing I felt was worth recording. Our days have consisted of the same monotonous routine. John goes to work, I spend hours at a time in bed, and the kids watch FAR too much TV. I've not cooked a meal for weeks so our meal times have been equally redundant. Ichiban...kraft dinner...repeat. I'm at the point in my pregnancy where SICK has set in and I can't believe I let myself forget this part of it. The morning sickness is more like All day Sickness and I feel like I could sleep for 8 hours and then fall asleep without a problem at night. Blah. I waft between feeling sorry for myself, and feeling guilty for the bad mom I've let myself become. Those emotions have pretty much consumed me and prevented me from feeling anything towards anybody else. Shame- I know.

Just when I felt like I couldn't feel any worse physically, I heard some news today that broke my heart. You see my biggest fear, MY BIGGEST FEAR as a mother, as I'm sure it is for so many of you as well, is the thought of losing one of my kids. Sometimes the worry from this has kept me up at night. Today as I was laying on the couch (I know pathetic) an Amber Alert came on the TV. A little 5 month old baby had just been kidnapped in Sherwood park. As the broadcaster continued to ramble off information about the stolen vehicle the baby was in, I felt myself saddened and listened in shock. Doesn't that make your heart ache? Somewhere at this very moment, my greatest nightmare has become one Mother's reality. I hope they find him soon.

It was enough to make me sit up straight and resolve to love my kids a little more and think of myself A LOT LESS. To just be glad that they are here, safe and sound. Another story dominating the news today was about two parents who's infant is literally dying and they are fighting to have her heart donated to another dying baby. I instantly felt ashamed for the lack of gratitude I have conveyed over the past several weeks. I'm keenly aware that some people would LOVE to be given the opportunity to have kids. Others would give anything to have kids who are healthy. Some would give anything to have their children safe at home with them? I have that all.

I am blessed.


Sometimes I just need a little dose of perspective.